Marcia Said:

what is a good way to start off a physical therapy career?

We Answered:

Three things to do now:

1) Seek out people who are doing the kind of work that you think your would like to do and go talk to them about their jobs. You can start by just asking people what they do for a living and go from there.

2) Go to the library and find the reference section (may need to ask the librarian for assistance). Look for a set of three books called the Encyclopedia of Associations. Volume One list thousands of professional groups (called associations - like a fraternity or sorority in college) that are interested in particular topics. Volumes two and three give details about the group. Contact the group headquarters and ask them to send membership information and if they have one - a publications catelog (this will list useful referneces in the field of interest).

3) Once you find a Professional group in your field of interest. Ask if they have a local chapter or group in the area where you live. See if you can go to some of their meetings and learn more about the people there (see number one above) and what they do. The group may even have a student member chapter that you could join.

Hope this helps.

John Said:

I'm undecided if i might want to look into the Physical Therapy career. What should i study in college?

We Answered:

No, you can have a bachelor's degree in almost any field, but I would recommend that you concurrently take the prerequisites for the PT program. That way, if you want to apply, you will be all set by the time you finish your BS.

...Therefore, you may want to choose a major where at least some of the courses overlap. In mechanical engineering, you'll probably get the math and physics that you need...you would just need to take bio, chem and psych.

Good luck.

Jeremy Said:

Best school for physical therapy career?

We Answered:

I went to Sonoma State for my Bachelor's in Kinesiology (class of '07) and Western University of Health Sciences for my Doctorate in PT in Pomona, CA (class of '10). I loved both schools, SSU was great because of the small class sizes, cheap state school fees and Rohnert Park is a nice place to live. I know that CSUN and CSU-Fresno have good programs for Kines and PT but both programs are currently in the transition phase of converting to a doctorate program and there are some state legislative issues there (i.e. state schools offering doctorate degrees). However, as long as any of those schools are accredited by APTA (apta.org) for PT programs you should be set. Hope this helped!

Minnie Said:

What should I major in if I want a career in Physical Therapy?

We Answered:

It is competitive but definitely possible. Pre req include 1 year of bio, chem, physics and anatomy and physiology. Most schools require math potentially up through calculus and statistics. You will probably need statistics. Each school then has it quirks. There is a need for PT and schools are looking for students. Because of the DPT, not as many qualified students are applying as they are going into PA or med school. The salaries have not caught up with the degree. I believe they will.

Best wishes

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Chester Said:

Some questions about the physical therapy career?

We Answered:

According to the bureau of labor and statistics, the field of physical therapy is expected to grow "much faster than average" (more than 26%) through 2014.

The payscale is comfortable. The last major survery was completed in 2005 which revealed that most PTs were earning between $50-70,000 a year. Yet, the scale is broad with still another 25% earning more than that.

This profession requires you to be a good problem sovler and be able to analyze different situations. You must really enjoy and be comfortable around people.

In the US, it now requires a master's degree or a doctorate level degree and entrance into PT programs is generally comeptitive. Meaning, just because you meet the minimum requirements does not mean you will be accepted into the program. The APTA has a good section for students on their website at: http://www.apta.org and go to the educational programs section.

The only bad things I predict for the field is if we get a national health care plan. If so, I think a lot of PTs will loose their jobs as the government tries to regulate who gets PT and who doesn't. The same can be said about any health care professional. The same thing happened when Clinton reformed Medicare...although it needed to be done, many people lost their jobs until they "go the kinks worked out." So, even if they do, the pendulum will eventually swing back and the job will be in demand again.

Dale Said:

UCSB Physiology, UCD NPB, or UCSD animal physiology/anatomy major for Physical Therapy career?

We Answered:

any is fine but you are picking difficult majors with a lot of classes you do not need and you need a 3.5 gpa. Try kinsio, ATC, exercise science, health science, rehab science.

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